Wolfsbane and HoofPicks
by Captain Seb the Seventh
Summary: After the war Harry just wants to leave his old life behind. When he finds out that his animagus form is a centaur he's given a way out not expecting to find love along the way. SS/HP
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Wolfsbane and Hoof-Picks**

**Author: Captain Seb the Seven**

**A/N: Hey just to say I have two horses of my own so I know a fair bit about them, but I'm not a horse guru so what I write may be different from the Wikipedia pages xD**

**Being English spellings and such will be as so. If you have any problems with understanding English swear words and stuff just ask me what they mean in a PM or review.**

**Summary: After the war Harry just wants to leave his old life behind. Finding out that his animagus form is a centaur; he goes to live a pleasant, solitary existence until he comes across his old potions master collecting ingredients in the forest he has made his home. Love blossoms between the unlikely pair and changes their lives forever.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter and its characters belong to J.K.R**

'_blah'_** means thoughts. **

**Chapter Warnings: None so far.**

…

After the war all Harry wanted to do was escape from it all. He shared his thoughts with his friends, at first they were reluctant to let him leave but when he promised he would write and stay in touch they were more supportive of his idea. At first Harry contemplated living as a muggle, but the thought of just not using magic put him off. He thought of many ways in which he could leave the wizarding world but none really appealed to him.

Not until Harry started training to be an animagus with his friends did he find a solution. When Harry first managed to transfigure his left foot into a hoof he thought he was merely a horse animagus. Harry was happy with this, in fact he was thrilled. He could give his friend's rides and wander the countryside without causing much of a ruckus. Harry doubled his efforts into fully transforming, but to his dismay it was taking him a lot longer to achieve a full transformation than it was Hermione and Ron.

Hermione had managed to fully accomplish her animagus transformations already; she was a glossy reddish-brown fox with the deepest liquid brown eyes you could hope to find. While Ron had managed to fully transformed only once. Into a very large ginger lion. Harry had laughed himself silly at the sight of a lion with a very bemused expression on its face sitting in the middle of the Weasley living room; the twins had teased Ron mercilessly.

Meanwhile Harry had only managed to partially transform a leg or a foot, once he sprouted a pair of equine ears. Hermione was scouring animagi books trying to find out why it was taking Harry so long to achieve his full transformation.

One day when Harry was meditating out in the Weasley's garden, Hermione ran over to him holding what had to be the world's biggest book.

"Harry! Oh Harry I think I've found your problem!" Hermione was practically bouncing up and down with excitement, what had got her so worked up?

"Huh?" Harry looked up at her from his cross-legged position on the floor.

Hermione sat down beside him and opened the massive book showing him a paragraph she had circled in light pencil. It read as so.

_When learning to become an animagus it usually will take up to two years to complete training. But on very rare occasions the wizard's or witch's animagus form maybe one of a magical creature, such as a unicorn or a dragon. The animagus must practice for at least six months more than the average animagi because they have to develop their forms magical core as well as their body. There have only been a few magical animagi every few centuries the most famous was Merlin. The great wizard of the past was a phoenix animagus-_

The passage then trailed off the subject of animagi and started talking about Merlin and how great he was.

"Do you think I'm a magical creature animagus?" Harry looked at Hermione with wide eyes.

Hermione nodded her hair flying all over the place, "Harry we both know that out of you me and Ron that you're the most magically powerful."

Harry opened his mouth to protest but Hermione snubbed him.

"No Harry you are! Anyway because of this I expected you to transform first, when you didn't I was really surprised. I was certain that you would get there before me and Ron. So I looked up animagi transformations and found this. I'm sure you're a magical creature Harry. So don't give up trying!" Hermione pecked him on the cheek in a sisterly bout of affection.

When Hermione first did this Ron had been outraged (he was Hermione's boyfriend after all) but Hermione quickly affirmed it was just sisterly love. It took a while for Ron to stop giving Harry odd looks, in the end Harry just decided to come out of the closet. He was gayer than the fourth of July. At first Ron just sat there gaping like a goldfish, he then blushed a violent red, once the blush had gone he gave Harry a manly hug and said everything was fine. Hermione just smiled demurely and said she had known it all along.

Harry sighed at the memory, god he loved his friends and it was going to be hard to leave them. Maybe he could visit them on national holidays?

…

It was three weeks later when Harry finally managed to transform fully. He was visiting the Weasley's again and he was sitting in Fred and George's old room meditating. Hermione and Ron were having a make-out session upstairs in Ron's room, and Harry wanted no part in it so he quickly made himself scarce. Sitting in the middle of the room on the rickety floorboards Harry let out a little gasp of surprise as he felt his body transform.

The change tingled and itched, mild spasms of pain rippled through Harry's body and he could hear his joints click and groan as they rearranged themselves. Once it was over Harry opened his emerald eyes cautiously.

Harry looked down at his arms. A brief wave of disappointment washed through him at seeing his arms just as they normally were, perhaps slightly more tanned than before - as if he spent most of his time outdoors. But then he looked past them and saw a pair of coal black horse's legs folded underneath him.

"What the?"

Harry turned to look behind him. There stretched out from the base of his spine, his skin flawlessly melted into rich midnight-black hair was the body of a horse. Harry observed his horses behind for a while and then noticed that the human part of his back was itchy.

He went to scratch it only to find it was because he had a long trail of messy hair much like a mane trailing down his back. It was trapped under his t-shirt which hadn't transformed with him. Pulling it off Harry felt much better. The mane-like hair connected with the messy mop on Harry's head and he went to feel his way up, prodding and poking at it. He gasped when he felt something twitch on his head as his hand brushed over it. It was an ear, a horse's ear to be exact. Harry stroked it; the ear was very soft and velvety.

The grin on Harry's face was threatening too split it in two.

"OI RON, HERMIONE! GET DOWN HERE!" Yelled Harry.

The centaur animagus heard the thundering footsteps of Ron and the lighter padding of Hermione race down the wooden staircase. It was louder than usual; centaurs obviously had better hearing than humans.

A few seconds later Ron burst into the room.

"Blimey!" Was all Ron managed to get out, while Hermione tried to push past him seeing as he had frozen in the door way.

"Move Ronald!" Snapped Hermione who managed to wiggle past the redhead.

Harry smiled at Hermione as he watched the dawning look of surprise form on her face.

"Oh my Harry! This is wonderful, you're a centaur!"

Ron had regained his composure again and walked over to Harry examining him.

"Blimey mate only you could go and turn into a bloody centaur!" Ron poked at one of Harry's ears. It automatically twitched trying to get rid of Ron.

"Harry as much as this is good, I think you should change back to being human then morph back in the garden. I'm not sure if the floor is made to hold up a horse." Said Hermione as the floor gave an almighty creak.

Harry nodded and quickly morphed back. Picking up his t-shirt he slipped it back on.

Harry smiled and raced down the stairs, "Come on! I want to learn how to gallop!" Harry shouted up the stairwell.

Once in the garden Harry transformed again, he did so while standing up this time so when he became a centaur he was still upright. This worked and Harry was pleased to see that he was about a foot taller than Ron, who was at least six foot in height.

Harry stepped forwards with a wobble and tried to make his back legs follow his front half, "Whoa!" Harry wobbled and tripped forwards like a newborn foal.

Hermione had a thoughtful expression on her face, "Harry it shouldn't take you long to master moving, it takes a newborn baby horse a couple of hours to learn how to walk at the most. Your instincts should kick in soon!"

All the commotion and shouting from the Weasley's back garden brought most of the family running. The twins arrived first.

"Wow…." Said the twin on the left.

"Big wow…" said the twin on the right.

The twins looked at each other then burst into identical peals of laughter at the sight of Harry taking wobble steps around their garden.

Molly Weasley soon graced everyone with her presence at hearing the twin's raucous laughter and for a while merely stood in the backdoor way and stared at the scruffy black-haired centaur wobbling around her garden in a clumsy trot.

The Weasley matriarch turned to face the twins, "Why is there a CENTUAR in my garden!"

The twins put their hands up in surrender, "It's not our fault mum, honestly. Its Harry's animagus form!" The identical redheads spoke in perfect synchronization.

"Oh my…. Harry dear congratulations!" Molly rushed up the garden path towards Harry her arms out stretched for a hug.

Harry immediately halted his messy jig of a canter and accepted the hug, "Uh thanks Mrs. Weasley."

"I'm so proud of you Harry dear!" Mrs. Weasley affectionately ruffled Harry's scruffy black mane and walked back up to the house to finish making lunch.

Throughout the rest of the day Harry practiced walking, trotting, cantering and galloping in the large Weasley garden, the gnomes looking on in awe as large powerful hooves thundered past them. When the sun started to dip behind the horizon Harry felt as if he had been born a centaur. Harry was about to change back until the youngest Weasley approached him with a mirror.

"Hey Ginny, what's with the mirror?" Harry eyed the full length mirror with suspicion.

The fiery redhead smiled and held up the mirror, "I figured you would want to know what you look like in this form properly, because to be honest you don't really look a thing like yourself."

Harry gasped when he caught sight of his reflection properly; it was true he didn't look like his human self at all. His face was still the vague shape it had been before but it was more chiseled and angular, with higher cheekbones and a stronger jaw. Now Harry came to think about it centaurs had very harsh features. They didn't really look like humans at all, they were their own species. His hair had obtained a shaggy look and hung down by the sides of his face and over his forehead, covering his famous scar and a pair of black equine ears poked out the top of his head. The same hair trailed down the back of his neck and traced his spine; it blended in flawlessly with the lighter smoother hair of his body.  
>And to top it all off he had a long swishing back tail made up of fine silky hair, it was nothing like a horses tail to be honest. They were a lot courser and thicker. Harry also possessed two pairs of jet black hooves which reflected the sun and made them flash almost silver at moments.<p>

"Wow… I really don't look like myself do I?" Even Harry's voice had changed, it was deeper and more mellow.

Ginny shook her head and shrunk the mirror and pocketed it, "I suppose this is your way out then?"

"Huh?" Harry tilted his head to the side in questioning; he ears also twitched in the same direction. It seemed they were very expressive.

"You know you're planning to leave and live your life away from the wizarding world. As a centaur animagus Hermione says you should still be able to do magic with your wand. A normal centaur can't do magic but they possess the ability to have visions and read the stars. Their body can contain a magical core without crumbling under the power so you should be able to retain yours in your animagus form." Ginny smiled a little sadly and extended her hand to Harry, it took a while for him to realise why she was doing it.

In her outstretched hand was his wand. Harry gently took it and cast a nonverbal lumos. The bright white light burst out of his wand as it would have done normally. A bright smile graced Harry's angular features; the grin softened the harsh contours of Harry's face making him look less severe. Ginny had never seen a centaur smile they always looked so solemn. But when they smiled they looked ethereal, their whole faces lit up and shone like the very stars they loved so much.

"Thanks Ginny." Mumbled Harry.

"You're welcome," Ginny sniffed, "I'm going to miss you when you're gone." She choked out holding back her tears.

"Oh Gin, come here." Harry held open his arms and embraced his little sister and morphed back into his human form still holding her.

…

Harry stayed in the wizarding world for longer than he anticipated. He decided he would go to Hogwarts one last time and ask if he could see Firenze and he ended up staying for a month learning about how to be a centaur. To Harry's surprise his old divination teacher was a lot friendlier towards him when in his centaur form. He even got to see a small smile from his mentor when Harry tripped over a rock on the shore of the Great Lake and fell face first into the icy water.

Firenze taught him about what was safe to eat in the forest and it turns out centaurs are mainly herbivorous, but they sometimes will eat a rabbit or a pheasant. But never a deer or another hoofed animal, Harry supposed that was almost cannibalism? Firenze also taught Harry how to use a bow and arrow, it was pretty tricky but Harry soon got the hang of it. After years of aiming with a wand Harry was pretty good at hitting a target.

Soon his stay was over and Firenze said he could make a passable centaur. Coming from the serious blond centaur Harry took it as great praise. But before he left he went to see all the school teachers to thank them for being there when he was at school. Morphing back into his human form Harry entered the castle and quickly made his way to the staff room.

Once there Harry personally thanked everybody, but the person Harry wanted to talk to the most wasn't there.

"Um Minerva where is Snape?" Asked Harry.

The headmistress shook her head, "Nobody knows Harry, he said he was leaving this life and that he was sick of people coming up to him in the streets and thanking him for what he'd done in the war. He even got an Order of Merlin first class for his efforts in the fight against Voldemort, but he rejected it and just disappeared."

"Oh…" said Harry, "Okay then… I best be on my way. And thanks again!" Harry gave one final halfhearted wave and left Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry for the last time. Put down at the fact he couldn't thank the man who had saved his life so many times he couldn't count them all on one hand.

…

Harry had been living in the lush broad-leaved forest for about a month when he stumbled upon the most unlikely character.

Harry loved living in the forest as a centaur, animals weren't scared of him and even a few wild unicorns had let him come near enough to stroke their snowy white hides. The forest Harry now called home was a deciduous forest made up of a mix of oak, ash, rowan and beach trees. The large ridged leaves of the beach trees rustled almost constantly in the wind, however light and the lush green world always smelt like freshly fallen rain. The underbrush of the forest was cool and dark with smatterings of bluebells and other wild flowers. The network of tinkling streams that ran through the forest provided water for the wildlife so the whole forest was buzzing with animals magical and mundane, if you just stopped still and listened you could hear the distant flapping of a bird or the quite tread of a deer. Harry loved it.

This type of forest was perfect for plants that are commonly used in potions ingredients so the forest floor had small clumps of rare herbs and such sprouting all over the place.

When Harry first noticed the all the rare plants the first thing he thought was _'Boy Snape would have a field day…' _

Harry had made his home in a wide mouthed cave which resided in a large outcrop of sandy rock near one of the larger streams; he had hung some leather-hide rugs up at the entrance of the cave to act as makeshift curtains. Inside the cave there were natural ridges Harry used as shelves. He had taken several books with him, mainly ones that told what was safe to eat and what wasn't. Harry had a few basic potions books as well, ones that told you how to make healing salves and sleep drafts. Harry had also taken to collecting odd things he found in the forest to use as decoration.

He'd even started making a dream-catcher cross wind-chime type thing using feathers and broken glass.

Even when it rained and was bitingly cold Harry was fine. He had cast heating charms and rain repellant charms on the cave. And when it got too hot Harry would cast a cooling charm. Sleeping was no problem; he still had nightmares occasionally but the pile of blankets and leather-hides was surprisingly comfortable. There was a circle of rocks Harry had placed near the mouth of the cave where he lit his cooking fires. And he had a small cauldron he used to make stews and potions that he needed.

Harry was enjoying his peaceful life as a centaur until the fateful day when he went out hunting for pheasants.

Harry silently stalked through the forest keeping an ear out for pheasant calls or the flapping wings. He had a homemade quiver on his back full of goose feather tipped arrows. And his bow strung and clutched tightly in his hand. He liked to eat meat more than the average centaur because he was once a human, but he soon came to realise that the very thought of eating beef or venison had Harry gagging. Yep he understood why centaurs didn't eat hoofed animals, it made them literally sick.

Harry froze when he heard a brushing sound of what could have been a pheasant waddling over the leafy floor. The fat dopey birds didn't have much self-preservation in them so they weren't hard to catch. The males especially, their long flamboyant tails dragged on the floor making loud rustling sounds. Well loud for a centaur anyway.

Picking his way through the undergrowth Harry peered through the leafy wall of brambles barring his way.

There was a crack as a twig was stepped on… pheasants were too small to make a sound like that. Maybe it was a deer? Harry looked closer. There appeared to be a misshapen black blob bent over a half grown wolfsbane seedling. Ever being the stupid rash Gryffindor Harry jumped over the brambles in one huge leap, bow drawn and arrow pointing at the mysterious black shadow.

The black shadowy thing stood up and Harry dropped his bow in surprise, the arrow twanging into a nearby ash tree. There standing before him in the forest with a basket full of potion ingredients slung over his arm was no other than Severus Snape in his customary black cloak.

Mind you Snape looked rather startled as well; he had just had a fully grown centaur jump out at him from behind a patch of brambles and was nearly shot with an arrow.

Harry broke the awkward silence, "Sorry about that… I thought you were a pheasant."

"I see," Said Snape who was assessing Harry with cold black eyes, "I didn't know there were centaurs living in this forest?"

Harry scratched the back of his neck with one of his arrows, "There aren't any living here, well except for me."

Harry looked at the basket Snape was holding; it had the ingredients for a wolfsbane potion in it. Except for the vital wolfsbane…

"Ahh, I am sorry to intrude you home…" Said Snape.

Was that slight fear in Snape's eyes? Ahh yes thought Harry; centaurs are quite territorial against fully grown humans. They do not harm children but when they feel threatened by an adult they're often merciless. Harry suppressed a smirk at the thought of Umbridge being dragged off kicking and screaming by the Hogwarts centaurs.

Harry shrugged and looked at the pitiful plantlet of wolfsbane at Snape's feet. He knew where the fully-grown plant was. There was a healthy patch of it growing near the stream next to his cave.

"Come wizard, you're not going to be able to make a potion with that pathetic sprout of a plant," Harry pointed to the wolfsbane with a shiny black hoof.

"I'll show you where the fully grown plants are; just don't take too much otherwise it will die back." Harry turned round and gestured for Snape to follow him with a crook of a finger.

As Snape followed behind the centaur thoughts buzzed about inside his head like swarm of pestering flies.

'_This strange centaur didn't attack me for trespassing in his home? And he has no heard… a lone centaur fancy that. Plus he's showing me where the fully-grown aconite is. I suppose it's a nice change from being run out of the forest at arrow point. The centaurs at Hogwarts really are a bunch of pushy mules.'_

Snape was snapped out of his musings when he heard the dark haired centaur call out to him.

"Wizard, this is where the wolfsbane grows at its strongest. It likes the dampness from the stream and the cool shade from this outcrop of rock."

Sure enough there was a prime patch of fully grown wolfsbane sprouting next to the chuckling stream.

"Thank you…" Snape gave the centaur an odd look almost questioning. To his surprise the centaur laughed. It was a deep throated chuckle that almost resembled the soft whuffing sound horses sometimes made when they were pleased.

"You think I'll turn on you and shoot you with my arrows wizard? Don't fear me, your welcome here as long as you don't butcher the plants needlessly. You may ask if you want me to show you where other ingredients grow. After a while all the trees start to look the same." Harry was pleased with himself, he sounded rather mysterious, quite centaur-esque.

"That is most generous of you…?" Snape paused leaving a silent question asking for Harry's name.

Harry blanked for a moment, he hadn't thought of a centaur name. They were often named after plants or stars; Harry quickly picked one he liked the sound of. It wasn't every day you met a centaur called Harry.

"You may call me Valerian." Harry hoped Valerian was an acceptable name for a centaur. He believed it to be a middle-ish sized plant, with tight bunches of many small flowers ranging from pure white to bright deep pink. Harry had used its roots during potion lessons occasionally; he remembered it smelt quite nice and it has sedative qualities.

Snape nodded his hair had grown down to his upper back now and was held back at the base of his neck, "My name is Severus, you have no need to call me wizard any more, Valerian."

"As you wish, Severus." Harry bowed his head in parting and disappeared into his cave with a flick of his tale. He returned several minutes later with two battered cups in hand.

It was some tea, Harry may be living as a centaur but that didn't mean he had to give up his favorite beverage.

"Severus." Called Harry softly, gaining the potion masters attention.

Harry outstretched his arm with the offered drink in it. "I made some tea."

Severus blinked several times, looking up from where he was kneeling next to the wolfsbane. He cleared his throat.

"Thank you Valerian." Snape accepted the tea and stood up; his basket now sported several cuts of prime wolfsbane.

Harry hummed deeply in the back of his throat while he sipped at his tea. It was then Severus curiosity got the better of him.

"I did not know centaurs owned many possessions; I thought they were against such a thing?" Snape gestured to the tin cup he was drinking out of.

Harry hummed again, "Most do not, but I am not your average centaur."

Harry was quite enjoying this, Snape was quite good company when you weren't the son of his most hated enemy. Technically he still was but the ex- professor didn't know that.

"Severus why are you here? This is a deserted place and not many people come here, muggles and wizards alike." Harry questioned.

Snape had been waiting for the odd centaur to ask this so he was prepared to answer, "I am a potions master, and I need ingredients. This wood is perfect for plants such as wolfsbane. I also live quite close."

Harry nodded, "Do you wish to come inside? It is getting cold."

Harry didn't wait for an answer he just pulled back the leather rug hanging in his door way and stepped inside his home.

Harry wasn't surprised when Snape followed him, he was obviously curious as to what the odd centaurs home was like. It was dark, dry and surprisingly warm. The ex-teacher waited for his eyes to adjust to the gloom.

"This is an odd dwelling for a centaur," Snape thought aloud, Valerian even had some books. He presumed he could read English. Centaurs had their own language and writings and didn't usually bother with such trivial human things.

"Hmm I was raised by a wizard. My parents were killed by wolves." Harry reached for one of the books on his shelf and opened it on a page that had an eagle feather quill marking its place. Bending his back legs first Harry carefully folded his legs underneath himself as he settled on his bed of blankets and leather hides.

'_That makes sense,'_ thought Severus, _'a centaur raised by a human. That's probably why he accepted me so. That also explains how he can read.'_

"So you're accustomed to wizards?" Asked Snape.

Harry's liquid green eyes darted up from the book and looked through his long dark eyelashes at Severus; who was perched on the edge of one of the many shelf like structures of the cave, "Yes, I grew up around them. It doesn't make me like them though. There are many rash ignorant ones who do not look before they leap as you humans say."

Snape made a scoffing sound in the back of his throat, "Yes, unfortunately the majority of the wizarding race are like that. Incompetent fools who think themselves geniuses."

Snape finished his tea and set the tin mug down with a chink, "Valerian, I must be leaving. I need to go and make a wolfsbane potion… for an old acquaintance."

Harry inwardly smiled; he knew it must be Remus and was glad that Snape was still sending him the vital potions, "Yes of course, I enjoyed your company Severus. The best company I usually get around here are unicorns. Frightfully skittish creatures though. Feel free to visit again."

Severus bowed his head in parting and left the warmth of the cave.

…

It was another week before Harry saw Snape again; he had been keeping a look out for the sour man. Even though he had only met him once as a centaur he missed his company. Sometimes just animals for companions did get rather lonely.

Harry was cantering along the outskirts of the forest where the trees were far apart when he saw the tall dark shadow of a man in the distance. As Harry got closer he realised that this must be where Snape lived, there was a small cottage with only one floor peeping through the trees. Snape was in fact standing in a small garden full of all sorts of plants, from pumpkins to daisies.

The sound of Harry's cantering hooves on the leafy floor soon caught Snape's attention and he looked up from observing his garden.

Harry slowed to a halt at the little stone wall bordering the allotment.

Severus spoke first, "Hello Valerian, what brings you to my home?" Snape wouldn't admit it but he was secretly pleased to see the scruffy black centaur. The forest could get dreadfully lonely at times.

Harry shrugged his shoulders, "To be honest I wasn't trying find it."

Snape nodded and bent down to examine a small green plant with yellow flowers by his foot.

Harry observed Severus's house for a few minutes and trotted around its perimeter, it was small and probably only had three rooms at most. The walls were unpainted and a greyish brown that blended in with the forest, the roof was thatched and covered in moss. The little dwelling must have been here a long time before Snape moved in.

Harry trotted back around to the front of Severus house again where the wizard was still examining the tiny plant.

Harry peered over the wall looking at what Snape was doing when he heard footfalls in the distance, his ears quickly twitched in the direction of the sound, Harry could hear talking too. Whoever it may be was still too far away to decipher what they were actually saying.

Harry froze still as statue listening hard, Snape noticed there was smoothing wrong but his inferior hearing hadn't picked up on the approaching people. There were at least ten of them. A camping trip possibly?

"Severus hide me!"

"What is it?" Severus turned to face the worried centaur, who was practically jumping about on the spot in concern.

Harry opened his mouth to speak but his words fell short when a loud shout broke through the forest.

"He do you guys think this would be a good place to pitch the tents?" It was a male voice, young but not a child perhaps about sixteen or seventeen years of age.

"Ah." Said Snape, the dark-haired wizard quickly opened the door to his house and motion for Harry to go inside. Harry gave him a skeptical look but jumped over the wall anyway as he passed his ex-potions professor he heard him hiss a warning.

"Do not break anything, or I'll saw off your hooves and have them for potion ingredients!"

Once inside the little room Harry spiraled on the spot taking a look about, his hooves clacked on the tiled floor. It was a kitchen highbred with a potions lab by the looks of things.

In one corner there was a large stone counter that fitted up against the wall in an L shape, it had various tools Harry recognised from his old school lessons on it, including a large black cauldron and a set of shiny silver scalpels. The walls were much like the ones on the outside just they had sketches of different plants and lists of ingredients pinned up on them. There was even a drawing of a fire salamander with labels showing which parts were used which potions.

Over to the other corner there were a few cupboards filled with what Harry presumed to be food. There was also a small wooden table piled with numerous books and a three legged stool set in the center of the room. Cautiously Harry peered out of the front window, half hidden behind the raggedy green curtain.

Harry sniggered to himself, he could see a group of young boys with packs on their backs being told off by Snape. Harry opened the window a tiny crack to hear what was going on.

He heard Severus first, "This is private land! You can't just come traipsing into the forest like a heard of rhinos, one would think that you have a lower IQ than a fence post!"

One of the boys opened his mouth to speak but Snape cut him off, "Go, now! Go on scram!" Snape waved his hands in dismissal and the boys went running back into the forest giggling and sniggering to themselves.

Snape turned to come inside and Harry quickly closed the window and back tracked into the middle of the room accidently knocking over the table, the books scattered over the floor their pages ruffling like dried leaves in the wind.

"Valerian, what did I say about breaking my things?" Said Snape as he entered his cottage.

Harry just gave a nervous laugh, "Well I better be going, got to go catch my dinner and what not."

Snape made a harrumphing sound and stood back to let Harry back out of the door again.

"Don't expect me to hide you again." Were Snape's parting words Harry just waved and galloped back off into the forest only to find that the group of boys were dangerously close to his cave.

"Oh crap," Mumbled Harry and he kept his distance and listened hard.

What appeared to be the leader of the group spoke first, "Did you see that muggles face when we stumbled into his precious little garden?"

There was a collective laugh from the rest of the boys. It seemed they thought Severus was not magical.

'_Wait Muggle?' _Thought Harry, _'If these boys are wizards I can charge in a scare them away.'_

Harry was proven right when one of the boys pulled out a wand and cast a spell that blasted away the undergrowth of the forest so they could place their tents. Harry was outraged, how dare they mutilate the forest!

Harry jumped over the wall of brushwood he was hiding behind and cantered into the gathering of boys. There were a few screams and shouts from the young wizards.

Harry turned to face them with a positively murderous expression on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Harry spoke with a deadly quite tone that inspired more than just simple fear.

But the oldest boy didn't seem scared; in fact he looked practically cocky.

"We are on a camping trip," The boy paused and looked Harry over, "Centaur."

"Well then I insist you leave instantly!" Harry's scowl deepened as the boy took a step closer.

The boy had a smug, self-assured smirk on his face, "What if we don't want to leave?"

Harry's ears were nearly flat against his head in displeasure, "I do not care if you wish to stay you are trespassing on my home, if you do not leave by your own accord I will drive you out of here myself!"

Before Harry knew it the boy had drawn his wand and was pointing it between Harry's eyes. Retaliating Harry drew an arrow out of his quiver and quickly strung it. Soon seven wands were pointing at the centaur.

Harry took a singular step backwards, his arrow still trained on the boy in front of him.

"Leave this place and do not return!" Harry's instincts were telling him to run but always being the Gryffindor he stayed put.

The centaur reared back on his hind legs slightly when the oldest boy took a step forwards and pointed his wand at Harry's throat.

"Why don't you beat it centaur? We're camping here weather you like it or not!"

The boy was distracted when one of his friends called out, "Hey look what I've found, it's a cave with loads of cool stuff in it!"

Harry let out an angry snort and pushed past the boy in front of him sending him sprawling to the floor and rushed towards his cave, sweeping back the leather rugs he ordered the boy inside to leave.

"Get out of my dwelling human. Centaurs do not harm foals, but you are boarding on manhood." Harry's voice was like distant thunder.

The centaur animagus started to lose his temper and Harry's human anger was flaring, but his centaur's instincts were telling him to flee. The boy inside the cave quickly dropped what he was holding in surprise, the chipped crystal potions vile smashed on the stone floor. The droplets of glass tinkled as they bounced away across the rock.

The sound of the smashing potions vile brought the boys friends running, the teenagers crashed about in the cave. There wasn't proper room for eight kids and a centaur. One of the boys panicked and before Harry knew what was coming he was hit by a spell.

A jet of red light hit him the chest and realised it was a stupefy, he didn't pass out but he stumbled forwards into the wall. Grasping the craggy rock to support himself Harry was still disorientated when he was hit by a second spell. The shout of _Incarcerous _echoed around the cave and Harry went tumbling to the floor bound by thick ropes that scratched his skin.

His left front left leg crumbled awkwardly beneath him and Harry heard something make a sickening crack, oddly enough it didn't hurt everything felt numb and Harry's eyes drifted closed. And then all he knew was darkness.

…

"Valerian, wake up you stupid mule!"

A low voice that Harry found familiar was shouting for Val- something or other… wait Valerian? That was him!

Harry's liquid green eyelids fluttered straining to open, his whole body hurt and felt as if it was made out of lead. Managing to crack open an eyelid Harry recognised the blurry outline of Snape.

"Svrs." Was all Harry could manage in his pained state.

"You have caused me nothing but trouble! Now stay still as I untie you."

Harry did as he was told but he couldn't really do much else. He heard the faint 'snick' as the rope was cut and went slack, his limbs flopped and he had to hold back a scream as his left foreleg shot spasms of white-hot pain up all along the limb.

Harry managed to only let out a pained hiss and scrunched up his eyes. Snape made a tutting sound and gently placed his hand on the damaged limb. The potion masters hand was cool and smooth, it was soothing on the burning injury.

Harry grit his teeth as Snape gently probed the wound trying to find out what was wrong with it.

"It's broken."

Harry let out a small moan of despair; a leg wound on a horse was pretty serious he knew occasionally they had to be put down. Being of high intelligence he knew that moving was a bad idea unlike a horse so hopefully he would be able to recover fully. A broken leg on a human could be healed with a quick spell but on a centaur he doubted as much.

Snape looked at the centaur with his coal black eyes, "Stay, I'll be right back I need to go and get some things from my house. And whatever you do, don't move."

Harry just groaned in response and looked around his cave, it was a mess. The books on the shelves had been knocked off and pages were scattered everywhere. There were shards of glass sprinkled all over the floor like droplets of ice. Before he knew it Snape was back with a cauldron full of all sorts things.

The potions master lay a cool hand on Harry's forehead and felt the heat radiating off it.

"Oh Well done you idiotic horse, you've gone and gotten yourself a fever from lying on the cold stone!" Snape chastised the centaur. _'Well he did tell me not to move' _Thought Harry before surrendered to the darkness.

As Harry drifted in and out of consciousness he saw flickers of the potions master, casting heating charms on his home. Bandaging his leg and applying healing salve. He even awoke to the man levitating him a couple of inches off the ground and onto his bed of leather hides.

There was a dancing fire chuckling merrily in the circle of stones when Harry awoke again and it was dark outside. The hunched figure of Snape was outlined by the flickering fire-light leaning up against the wall of Harry's cave. He appeared to be sleeping. The man was only a foot away from Harry and he was snoring lightly. He looked pretty uncomfortable, and that cave wall wouldn't be warm.

Struggling to sit up Harry's injured leg jutted out in a crooked position.

"Severus?" Harry poked the man in the shoulder.

The potions master mumbled something in his sleep that sounded like felixs felicius.

"Severus!" Said Harry louder and poked him harder.

The man jolted awake and scrabbled for his wand, remembering where he was his body relaxed.

"You're awake," Said Harry.

"Obviously," Drawled the man leaning against the wall, "Why did you wake me up Valerian?"

"You looked cold." Said Harry, "If you come over here you can share my bedding, you'll be more comfortable this way."

Snape looked skeptical but he knew it was true, the wall was very uncomfortable and he had only fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion. Shuffling over he seated himself on the edge of the leather rugs the centaur used as a bed. Harry made a clicking sound of annoyance in the back of his throat and reached out with a tanned arm to pull Severus closer. Startled and caught off guard Snape was pulled up against the centaur with his head and upper body lent up against the midriff of Harry's horse's body. It was surprisingly warm and the centaur smelt pleasantly of freshly cut grass and rain.

Snape made a grumbling sound of protest but the centaur shh'd him and told him to go to sleep. 

…

**Sooo what do ya think? Reviews Please!  
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**PS. I'm looking for a BETA, if anyone is interested please drop me a bell on PM!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Wolfsbane and Hoof-Picks**

**Author: Captain Seb the Seven**

**A/N: Just answering the reviews of some people with their PM turned off -**

**Jester – I know we Brits don't celebrate the 4****th**** of July but I was sneaking in a cheeky quote, hardcore Potter fans should know where it's from. Cookies for those who know!**

**gwynclaire – Ooops! Typo alert, thanks for pointing it out. This is why I ****really**** need a BETA! (Any volunteers?)**

**Summary: After the war Harry just wants to leave his old life behind. Finding out that his animagus form is a centaur; he goes to live a pleasant, solitary existence until he comes across his old potions master collecting ingredients in the forest he has made his home. Love blossoms between the unlikely pair and changes their lives forever.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Harry Potter and its characters belong to J.K.R**

'_blah_**' means thoughts. **

**Chapter Warnings: None so far.**

…**  
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Snape made a grumbling sound of protest but the centaur shh'd him and told him to go to sleep.

When Harry awoke he could feel a weight pressed up against his side and for a moment wondered what it was. When said weight mumbled in its sleep and turned over Harry remembered that it was Snape. Severus Snape was sleeping on him… that though made Harry want to giggle.

Content just to bask in the combined warmth of the fire's dying embers and Snape's body Harry dozed until the ex-potions professor regained consciousness.

…

Severus awoke to the gentle rise and fall of his pillow's breathing. Quickly realising pillows didn't breath he bolted upright and nearly jarred something in his neck. Before he could scrabble for his wand a familiar voice riddled with sleep spoke to him.

"Either lie back down or get me a blanket, my sides cold now," Valerian made his point by shivering.

Severus grumbled but reached for the thick woolen blanket that was crumbled by the cave wall without a long outstretched arm; the centaur had gotten a fever from lying on the cold stone while he was knocked out, and needed to be kept warm. Coupling that with Valerian's broken leg made Severus the chief nurse maid.

Severus gently ballooned the blanket over the horse part of Valerian's body, trapping a snug pocket of air.

"Thank you Severus," Mumbled the sick centaur as he slowly drifted back off to sleep.

Snape did not stop him, sleep was the best thing Valerian could do with a fever. Despite usually hating the general public Severus had grown to 'tolerate' the odd centaur and was not unwilling to help him return to full health. The strange peaceful air around the mythical creature gave Severus a sense of calm which he reveled in; his nights used to be torn by too many nightmares for him to be able to rest properly. And for the first time since Lily died; sleeping beside the centaur Severus had rejoiced in a night only disturbed by the slightest unnerving dreams.

Stretching out his limbs Snape stood and brushed the midnight black horse hair off his clothes. He then turned to survey the devastation of the cave now lit by sunlight.

Books were torn and their pages littered the cave like it was autumn, whereas the droplets of broken glass told otherwise and gave one the impression of an icy winter. Severus could see a tin teapot crushed up against the cave wall with several dents in it, it was accompanied by what seemed to be the remnants of a wooden spoon, it now merely resembled a cluster of splinters. A few of the leather hides were torn down but they seemed to have managed to tolerate the young campers panic and stayed intact.

Thinking about the boisterous down right violent boys made Severus feel like he was a teacher again. He really hated kids, the ones that hurt Valerian especially. Even the most thoughtless, most blundering idiot knew centaurs were extremely territorial and were not against using arrows and kicks to get their way. Centaurs; being as stubborn as mules, meant they didn't back down easily.

In fact Severus believed that causing harm to an endangered magical creature was punishable by imprisonment. The centaurs' population numbers had started dropping into critical once the first war began and deforestation wasn't helping them.

'_Too late for that now though, those brats are long gone and probably boasting about it to their friends!"_

Severus let out a weary sigh as he drew his wand to clean up the cave with a simple spell but stopped himself just as he was uttering the last syllable. That spell made a lot of noise what with broken objects reforming and zooming back into place, it would undoubtedly wake up the snoozing centaur. Berating himself for his moment of softness, Snape bent down to pick up the first shard of glass.

…

Before Harry opened his eyes he could tell Snape was still in his cave. The soft rustling of his full length robe and the light flutter of his breathing gave him away. Harry cracked open an eyelid and observed what was going on through long inky eyelashes. Harry was surprised to see Snape arranging his books on one of the shelf like protrusions jutting out form the cave wall. Had Snape tided his home by hand?

He would have had to, the books were arranged alphabetically. A spell would have just moved them back to where they originally were, where as Mr. Obsessive Compulsive had decided to reorganize them. Harry suppressed a smile; he pretended to be sleeping a bit longer so he could observe Severus while he thought nobody was looking.

Once the ex-teacher had finished the books he turned to face the rest of the room and let out a sigh of accomplishment. It was then Harry noticed Severus had tidied the whole room. The broken objects had been gathered into little piles of debris waiting to be repaired with a spell. Harry felt something clutch in his chest when he realised Snape had done so not to wake him.

Snape settled on a leather rug near the mouth of the cave with his back to Harry looking out into the forest, after he had sat there for a few minutes Harry decided to 'wake up'.

After fully opening his eyes and getting used to the daylight of the cave Harry let out a soft whuffing sound to get Severus's attention.

The sour man turned to face the centaur and blinked once in acknowledgement.

"Good morning Severus." Said Harry.

Snape rolled his eyes, "It's good afternoon."

"You have tidied my cave." It was a statement not a question.

Severus seemed to sag slightly, "I thought I might make myself useful, better than snoozing away the day like an old donkey."

"That was not an insult Severus," Harry quirked the corners of his mouth into a strange cross between a smirk and a smile.

Snape did not have an answer for that so he changed the subject, "Valerian, you really are quite ill."

Harry just blinked his long inky eyelashes.

"You have a fever and a broken leg, as you most probably know leg wounds are very serious in a horse or a centaur. Luckily for you you're smart enough not to walk on it. Whereas the fever will most probably get worse before it gets better."

Harry interrupted, "I feel fine, a bit cold perhaps."

"Valerian, it's going to get worse no matter what I do. You may feel fine now but give or take a few hours you will wish that you had never been born." Severus's eyes were dark and his voice grave.

"Oh," Said Harry not really sure what to think about that, "I have never heard of a fever acting like that before."

Severus rolled his eyes and explained to the centaur, "Centaurs do not heal the same way as humans, they're a lot faster at repairing themselves. Which means you'll get all the symptoms in a much closer span of time than a human. That means they will feel all the more severe for it. But on the bright side you'll only have to suffer through it for about six or seven hours. Whereas a human would be ill for a couple of weeks."

"Ah…" There was a moment of silence from the centaur.

"Will you stay with me Severus?"

"If that is what you wish of me."

…

Severus's words rang true and the fever soon set in on the Centaur. Harry would have wished to be dead if he could feel anything properly, but he was really too delirious to do anything except lay there and babble incoherently about sparkles and how shiny Severus's hair was.

Snape sat by the fire side and watched diligently over the sick centaur. Valerian's skin was even paler than his own and covered in a glistening sheen of sweat, his mane-like hair was matted from his constant tossing and turning and Severus could see his eyes rolling under closed lids.

Hours ticked by and Severus didn't move a muscle.

At one point Valerian seemed to snap out of his daze and gripped at the hem of Severus's cloak with scrabbling fingers. He was breathing as if he had been chased for miles without rest and his eyes glinted with madness from the fever.

"Sev-Severus, I need to tell you, tell you that I…" But before the centaur could finish his sentence his eyes rolled back into his head and he let out a keening moan of anguish.

Snape was mildly disturbed. The groan the centaur gave was not a sound a normal human could make, it soon ended as quickly as it had come but the hands gripping at his cloak did not relinquish their hold.

Despite the constant tossing and turning from the ill centaur, and the occasional haunting groans Severus drifted off into a state of near slumber. And before he realised that he was losing consciousness the sun had managed to creep up on the night and was peeking over the horizon again.

…

Severus who had not eaten for several hours was jolted awake by the angry grumbling of his own stomach. Having previously been perched awkwardly up against the cave wall, Severus's elbow lost its footing with his sudden awakening and he crumpled to the floor.

His attentions were caught by an odd nickering sound. Craning his neck at an awkward angle Severus caught sight of Valerian laughing at him. Severus had never heard a centaur laugh, and he doubted even if he had heard one before it wouldn't have prepared him for the sight of it.

Valerian's face had lit up like a lumos charm and the contours of his face lost their harshness and had softened into almost delicate curves. Apart from the actual smile and the quaking of the magical creatures shoulders the sound of a centaur laughing was quite unearthly. It sounded like sharp constant nickering, hybrid with a giggle.

"That's not funny Valerian." Severus grumbled as he picked himself up of the floor, yet for the first time in a while he had to suppress and small smirk of amusement (even if said amusement was directed at him).

Harry managed to compose himself and his expression went back to one of stoic composure.

"Sorry, but it was rather entertaining Severus."

Severus made a harrumphing noise, crossed his arms and tried to change the topic of conversation, "I see you are feeling well again?"

Harry rolled his eyes at the obvious conversation change but answered Severus anyway, "Yes I feel almost myself again, except I have a rather painful headache."

"That would be from dehydration, I tried to get you to drink while you were still under the influence of the fever but you were too delirious, I shall get you some water."

Severus drew his wand from his sleeve and tapped one of the small piles of debris with it. The misshapen blob of scrap metal screeched and reformed to reveal one of Valerian's old tin mugs, slightly more scratched than before. Severus then cast an aguamenti charm into it filling the cup with clear cool water.

"Thank you Severus," Harry took the offered water and sipped at it.

Severus then got to work repairing the rest of the broken items while Valerian watched with liquid green eyes.

After the ex–potions professor had finished he tucked his wand back up his sleeve.

"Severus I have some pheasant hanging in the back of the cave if you're hungry. It sounded like you had a particularly mad bowtruckle in your stomach earlier." Harry pointed over his shoulder with his free hand.

Severus nodded and retrieved the pheasant, it was a whole bird feathers and all. Severus being a potions master knew how to skin an animal so one might use its properties for potion purposes but not to eat. So he stared at it trying to work out the best way to remove the feathers, but it was snatched out of his hands by Valerian who was looking up at him through his eyelashes.

"I'll do it. Pass me that knife."

Severus passed the knife and watched in fascination as Valerian prepared the bird to eat. Soon the feathers and innards of the bird were disposed of, and lean strips of meat were roasting on an iron spit over the fire at the mouth of the cave.

"Do all centaurs eat meat?" Severus asked as he and Valerian waited for the bird to cook.

"Most do, but in general centaurs are mainly herbivorous. I eat more than most because that was how I was brought up, and pheasants and rabbits taste better than dandelion leaves."

Severus nodded and the corners of his mouth twitched into an almost-smile.

Harry watched his old teacher in the flickering fire light and felt something lurch in his stomach, it wasn't entirely unpleasant just unexpected.

"How long will it take for my leg to heal Severus?"

"It can take up to twenty-four weeks for bone to heal in the lower leg of a human without magical assistance, I do not know what it is for a horse but I do know that their circulation is weak and it may be lost if they compensate for the broken leg by hobbling around on the three healthy ones. I am sure that you will be fine though, if your circulation starts to fail massaging it should keep the blood flowing."

Harry hummed in agreement and removed the pheasant from the spit and passed some to Severus. They ate in a companionable silence until Severus declared that he had to leave to care for some potions.

"Valerian, I do know somebody who is very skilled at caring for magical creatures. I could ask him to take a look at you if you wish." Severus said this as if it was a great burden but Harry could tell that he didn't really mind.

Hoping that the magical creature expert was who he thought it was Harry asked Severus for his name, "What is this expert's name?"

"Rubeus Hagrid."

Harry paused as if to think upon this but he had already made up his mind, "You may contact him."

"I shall see if he can come and treat you tomorrow. You will be alright until then?" asked Severus.

Harry nodded and offered Severus a minute smile and was surprised to get one back.

"Farewell, I shall come and visit you tomorrow whether Hagrid can make it or not."

"Goodbye Severus." Harry watched as Severus slipped off into the forest and waited expectantly for the coming day.

…

Harry awoke with a start, it sounded like an elephant was making its way through the forest. Angry yells were partially drowned out by the crashing off the large creature. Harry's ears picked up a few snarky insults like 'oaf' and 'blundering idiot'.

The bendy prongs of a young birch tree that grew a few feet away from Harry's cave were pulled back by what looked rather like a very hairy bear but Harry knew it to be Hagrid, mind you Hagrid didn't think to hold the tree branches back for the other man following behind him so Severus got a face full of stinging leaves and whipping branches.

"Hello there, you must be Valerian!" Hagrid approached the cave bent at the waist, a sign of submission for centaurs. It showed he held no hostility towards reigning herd leader – in this case Harry.

"Greetings Rubeus Hagrid," Harry tried to act very centaur like, he didn't want Hagrid to end up recognizing him.

Meanwhile Severus was wrestling with the birch tree which was gripping at his cloak with grabby branches.

Hagrid stepped into the mouth of the cave, the top wisps of his hair just brushing the ceiling, "Severus has told me that yer have a broken leg. Young'uns these days think they can get away with anything since You-Know-Who was defeated, injuring and endangered magical creature Dark Lord or no Dark Lord is unacceptable!"

While the care of magical creatures professor talked to Harry, Severus had managed to disentangle himself from the tree and enter the cave.

The Hagrid noticed the light that ignited in the young centaurs eyes as Severus approached the cave, his usually dead straight hair stuck full of leaves.

"Good morning Valerian," Grumbled Severus as he gracefully settled himself on the floor next to the centaur despite his bedraggled appearance.

"Your hair resembles a squirrel's drey Severus." Harry reached over and with gentle fingers started to untangle the foliage caught up in the potion master's black locks. To Hagrid's shock Severus didn't bat away the hands carefully straightening out his hair and merely let Valerian untangle him.

Hagrid let out and awkward cough to gain their attention.

"You may assess my injured leg Rubeus Hagrid." Harry unfolded his wounded limb without looking up from Severus's hair.

"All righ' then, Severus yer done a good job a preventing an infection." Hagrid glanced up at Snape to gauge his reaction but he had his eyes pinched closed as the centaur tugged out a particularly painful twig.

Hagrid then prodded and poked at Harry's leg for a few more minutes, "Well Severus has managed to stop any O' them infections getting in so apart from the break your leg is pretty healthy. It should take about a couple O' months to heal."

"That is most reassuring," Harry replied trying keeping his face as impassive as possible.

"I'll send you some salves and things you can put on to speed up the healing process."

Severus who was now tree free spoke up, "I can make them, there is no need to clog the forest up with your irksome owls."

Hagrid blinked his beetle black eyes wondering if the world had turned on its head, '_Snape being nice…er than usual?'_

"Uh all righ' then, I'll write down the instructions for yer." Hagrid then scrabbled about in his many pockets looking for a quill and some ink, finding a bedraggled self-inking goose quill he scrawled down the salve ingredients and how to brew them on the back of an old shopping list.

"Here yer go Severus," Hagrid passed the note to Snape who folded it in two and tucked it into his breast pocket, "I'm sure you won't be needing any O' help from me. But drop us an owl if yer do. It was nice to meet'cha Valerian and I hope yer leg gets better soon."

"Thank you for attending to me Rubeus Hagrid." Said Harry and accepted Hagrid's huge hand for a farewell shake.

Severus unfolded his long legs and stood, "Can you find your own way out of the woods Rubeus?"

"Yep, I might go and have a look about. See if I can find any O' them Horklumps." Hagrid then gathered up the various items that had spilled out of his coat while searching for a quill.

"Nice to see yer again Severus." Hagrid smiled at the pair of forest dwellers and exited the cave.

"Too bad I can't say the same myself," Drawled Snape once Hagrid was out of hearing range.

Harry made a tutting sound in the back of his throat, "He has helped you and me Severus, I do not think being unkind is a good way to thank him."

Severus let out a puff of air and rolled his eyes, "I am going to go make a start on this" Severus brandished the shopping list, "Do you know if any hellebore grows around here?"

"I believe there is some growing at the source of that stream," Harry pointed to the chuckling trail of water rushing past the mouth of the cave, "Just follow it up and there is a rocky out crop like this one," Harry patted the cave floor, "But its smaller and the source of the stream runs out of the caves mouth."

Severus nodded and looked down at the salve list, "Apart from the hellebore I have everything. It should take a couple of days to make. Do you have enough food to last until I visit again?"

Harry shook his head making his ears twitch, "No I have eaten my last pheasant."

"In that case I'll bring you something to eat, you don't eat hoofed animals do you?" Severus asked.

"No, fish, rabbits and birds I do eat though." Harry twiddled a twig which he had unstuck from Severus's hair in the dust on the cave floor, drawing swirly patterns in it.

"In that case I shall see you later Valerian." Severus paused at the mouth of the cave and looked back at the centaur as if he wanted to say something more but then though better of it.

"Goodbye Severus."

…

From then on Snape visited Valerian nearly every day to supply him with food and new healing salves, the sickly pinched look that the centaur once had when he was ill soon fell away and Valerian started to regain his health and the colour returned to his cheeks.

Summer had soon crept up on spring and just into the first week of June Severus and Valerian were sitting at the mouth of the cave eating lunch. They had both fallen into a companionable routine in which their friendship bloomed; Harry had discovered that his old potion professor possessed a sharp wit and a sarcastic sense of humor which made life in the forest a lot more amusing than it had previously.

Whereas Severus enjoyed the calm presence the centaur gave off, it was a pleasant change to his old life which was full of hostility and haste. His nightmares had practically vanished.

Valerian had started to hobble about on his own again after a few failed attempts in which he stood on Severus's toes… twice. And today he had managed to shuffle to the entrance of his cave and eat out in the open air.

Snape had brought a salmon and a loaf of bread over for lunch and the smell of the fish had attracted a visitor.

Harry's ears twitched to attention as he caught the sound the quite tread of a four legged animal just beyond the stream. It took a while for his eyes to pick out the creature in front of the wall of brambles but once Harry had noticed it he smiled and pointed it out to Severus.

"Severus."

"Yes Valerian?" Snape spoke as best he could around a mouthful of salmon sandwich.

"Can you see thestrals?" Harry knew the answer but Valerian would not.

"Yes… why?"

"There is one over there." Harry pointed to the skeletal black horse sniffing at the air.

After a few minutes of searching Snape noticed it, "I see. It probably wants some fish."

Harry hummed in agreement and picked up the remaining fish carcass by the tail and shakily got to his feet. Limping on his bad leg Harry approached the stream not crossing over it. The thestral eyed him with curiosity. Once Harry extended his arm with the fish the thestral soon got the idea and waded into the water to reach it.

Severus sat and watched the great winged horse nibble at the dead fish. Once it had grabbed the whole fish in its beak-like mouth Valerian retreated backwards towards his cave and plonked himself down next to Snape again.

The thestral seemed quite content to just stand in the stream and chomp on the fish, eating everything including the bones.

"Do you mind if I ask how you can see the thestral Valerian?"

Harry shook his head, "All centaurs can see thestrals Severus, but I witnessed my parent's death none the less."

Snape hummed in acknowledgement, "I have seen many deaths in my lifetime."

"To see one death in a lifetime is too many." Replied Harry as he watched the thestral lick the remaining fish from its mouth and take flight.

"I knew a witch whose animagus form was a thestral once." Snape said.

Harry blinked a couple of times trying to figure out who was powerful enough to be able to take the shape of a magical creature… Bellatrix Lestrange perhaps?

"What was her name?" Harry's curiosity got the better of him.

"Her name was Walburga Black. I only knew her as an acquaintance but she was very proud of being able to transform into a magical creature and wouldn't cease boasting about it. She's long dead now though."

When Harry though about it Walburga Black did seem to be the type to take the form of an omen of death, thinking back to her ghastly portrait at 12 Grimwald Place she suited being a thestral animagus. His guess wasn't that far off, Bellatrix was a Black after all. They had a reputation for having the animagi ability.

"Do you have an animagus form Severus?" Harry was almost positive that the ex – potions professor would have one, he seemed the type.

"I took the potion that tells you if you have the magical reserve to be able to complete the transformation, it came up as positive but I never had the time to pursue it. I suppose I could try now, I defiantly have the time and peace to have a go."

If Harry's ears weren't mistaken Severus sounded almost wishful.

"I have a book on meditation techniques if you want to borrow it, my foster father was an animagus and he always said that you need to achieve the state of mind before you could achieve the state of being." Harry found that he didn't have to lie, Sirius had told him that. He was practically his foster father anyway.

"I would not be averse to taking a look at it."

"I shall fetch it for you."

Harry was about to stand but Snape places a potion worn hand on the centaur's bare shoulder, "You are injured, I shall retrieve it. What does it look like?"

Harry's chest fluttered at Severus's kindness and gave him a description of the book.

Harry sat and waited for Severus watching the chuckling stream eddy and swirl about. He didn't notice that Snape had probably been in his cave longer than was necessary.

…

Snape quickly found the book thanks to his alphabetical organisation, but as Severus pulled the tattered book off the cave's natural shelf something which was wedged behind the tomb clattered to the floor.

Setting the book back down Snape bent over and picked up the wand.

Severus stared at it, it looked very familiar. But he couldn't place it to a person. Why would centaur have a wand?

Snape decided to leave it and see if this mystery unraveled itself, the potions master slipped the wand behind a book about dragons and exited the cave.

…

Soon enough Harry was back to full health and was able to hunt and gather food for himself, which meant Severus no longer needed to visit him. Not that it stopped the potions master from stopping by anyway.

And on what had to be the hottest driest day of the year so far, Severus had taken refuge from the suns blistering beams in Valerian's cave. The centaur himself was not at home but Severus was sure that he would not be bothered by his presence.

The ex-teacher settled himself on one of the leather hides just inside the cave's mouth so he was in the shade but could still feel the summer breeze. He had hoped to have a read of the meditation book Valerian had lent him but in this heat he could not be bothered to even lift a finger. So he merely set the book down at his side. Severus had long ago shed his thick black winter cloak in favor of a thin grey summer version, and even then the light material was a bit too stifling. Folding his cloak up as a pillow Severus waited for Valerian to return.

…

Meanwhile Harry was carefully picking his way through the undergrowth on the outskirts of the forest; he was following an animal trail which showed signs of being recently used. A broken stem here and a patch of trampled grass there were subtle signs that Harry had learnt to pick up on as so to find his next meal.

Just as Harry was rounding the corner of a large outcrop of rock, a deer darted out across the path with fear blazing in its eyes. The doe didn't even acknowledge Harry and just disappeared into the undergrowth as silently as a ghost. Wondering what could have spooked the dear so much Harry carried on with more purpose in his stride.

As the centaur continued on his way a sense of dread settled over him like a lead blanket, more startled animals kept appearing. At one point Harry even saw a terrified unicorn, but unlike the other animals it stopped in the middle of the trail and seemed to plead with Harry to run. It didn't stay long and soon it had run off again.

It was not for another twenty minutes or so did Harry really understand why the forest was so frightened.

The first thing Harry noticed was the smell, the chocking cloying smell of acrid smoke wafted in the centaurs direction and he instantly knew, there was a forest fire.

Harry quickly unstrung his bow and sheathed it in his quiver; he was about to run but remembered Severus was in there somewhere. Instead of following his instincts which were screaming at him to flee Harry set off at a canter right back into the heart of the forest.

Harry cantered through the forest yelling Severus's name, and when he reached the potion master's cottage it was totally empty and flames were starting to lick at the undergrowth around it. Panic welled up inside Harry and he set off at a gallop towards his cave. It was the only other place Harry could think Severus would be, or that he had apperated to safety.

As Harry got closer to his home the flames grew higher and the smoke grew thicker. But Despite the wild flames and stifling smoke Harry cantered onwards, trying to reach his cave. Even if Severus wasn't there and had managed to apperate away, there were still a few things Harry wanted to save. If it wasn't too late already.

At one point a large branch encased in a blanket of flame came crashing down right into Harry's path, he reared desperately trying to get round the blazing log. But as he backed up Harry felt a searing pain on his flank and quickly turned to see what had caused it. A spread of brambles had caught alight behind him, and leaves of the plant were being spat into the air like tiny flaming missiles. Just as Harry realised he was under attack from the bush, more of the leaves caught in the swirling vortex of stifling heat and floated dangerously close to him, one scalding just above his rear left hoof. Deciding to dally no longer Harry saw only one way out of this mess.

Harry leapt as far as he could, right up and over the searing wall of fire. The flames tickled his underbelly like malicious feathers, but they did not burn him, the only consequence being the foul stench of burnt hair.

Now clear of what seemed to be the wickedest part of the fire Harry cantered onwards, despite being free of the worst of it Harry's eyes stung from the smoke and irritated tears trailed pathways through the soot on his cheeks.

As Harry got closer to his cavern he thought he caught the sound of crackling flames again, but it only proved to be the chuckling brook that ran past his cave's mouth. He was too far upstream at the moment so Harry waded into the stream, letting out a hiss as the cool waters soothed his burnt leg. Knee deep in water it took longer to reach his cave than it would on the bank, but the water was a welcome relief.

When his cave came into sight Harry hauled himself out of the brook and onto the scorched earth. Fear clutched at his heart when he saw what awaited him.

The lifeless form of Severus's body lay at the mouth of his cave, for a moment Harry believed him to be dead. Perhaps chocked to death by the smoke? But Harry soon noticed the potion master's chest rose and fell with shallow gasps. Letting out a sigh of relief Harry kneeled and checked the man's pulse, it was worryingly fast and fluttered like a trapped moth under his fingertips.

Hooking his arms under Severus's Harry hauled the man to his feet, still unconscious the ex-teacher was a dead weight in his hands. Being a centaur Harry was a lot stronger than he would have been in human form; but despite his strength Snape was still heavy. He may have been as skinny as a broom, but Severus was tall, which made him no lightweight. Regardless of this, Harry managed to sling the potion's master over his back and maneuver him so the man's arms were draped over his shoulders, and his gangly legs protruded around his waist. Snape's head lolled onto Harry's shoulder and his hair tickled Harry's collarbone.

With his human rucksack drooping limply on his back, Harry found a tin canteen full with what he hoped was water and slung it over his shoulder. He then scrambled for his wand which was hidden behind the row of books on the wall. Finding it behind the leather-bound book titled 'Dangerous dragons and where to find them' Harry dropped it into his quiver and turned to leave before the fire got any closer to his home. But as he was leaving he trod on something square and solid. It was the meditation book he had lent Snape, deciding to pick that up too Harry wedged it in top of his quiver along with the arrows and set off as fast as he could.

…

Harry may have been a centaur, with the strength of a horse and three men but carrying a fully grown man through a burning forest was not easy. Perspiration streamed from Harry's brow, and chalky white sweat had gathered in the crooks of his horse's limbs. Thick black soot clung to Harry's eyelashes and the back of his throat, his vision which was not good at the best of times was blurred by stinging tears. But Harry struggled onwards, eventually the forest thinned and the smoke faded.

As the last of the smallest saplings were passing by Harry caught sight of a lush green field winking at him through the trees. Speeding up Harry was in so much of a hurry he nearly ran into the barbed wire fence surrounding the pasture; with no time to stop he just bounded over it. But the exhaustion of the fire and the weight of Severus on his back took its toll, Harry managed to clear the fence without injury but his knees buckled as he landed, throwing the potion's master off his back along with a few arrows and the meditation book.

Crumpling to his knees Harry was thankful he hadn't crushed Severus, but the ex-teachers left ankle was bent at an odd angle. Harry wasn't sure if the injury was caused by catching it on a branch while racing through the forest or if it had happened just then, but a thick layer of guilt settled over him.

Harry was snapped out of his thoughts of remorse when Severus gave a loud groan and decided to wake up. His onyx eyes flickered open and he sat bolt upright and rolled to the side on all fours, he was then promptly sick all over the grass.

Harry just looked on with mild disgust, settled in the grass like a bizarre imitation of a fawn trying to hide from predators.

Snape coughed a few times and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and took in his surroundings. Catching sight of Valerian he opened his mouth to speak, but only managed a horse croak.

What Snape really wanted to say was, _what the fuck just happened? _But he had a severe case of smoke inhalation and his voice had deserted him.

Harry seemed to catch on to what Severus was implying and proceeded to explain about the fire and finding him unconscious at the mouth of his cave.

Snape just nodded and attempted to speak again, this time he was a little more successful.

"T-thanks, life… save." He then dissolved into a fit off coughing, which ended up in more vomiting.

Harry wondered why he wasn't being ill; maybe it had to do with having three stomachs. One in his human part and two in his horse's.

Anyway he offered Severus a small smile and the tin canteen. Snape took it gratefully and Harry was relived to find it was indeed full of water, perhaps a bit stale but better than nothing.

Severus drank his fill and handed it back to Harry, who used the rest of it to clear his face of soot.

They both sat there in the field, side by side watching as their home burnt. The smoke spiraled hundreds of feet into the air and shrieks from birds and other animals joined in with the chorus of crackling flame.

"I think we may have to move, Valerian." Severus deadpanned.

Harry couldn't help it and let out a throaty laugh, everything really did seem a bit bizarre.

…

**Sweet baby Moses, IT'S DONE! I'm so sorry it took so long; I've been busy with exams and things. I really hope you enjoyed this action packed chapter. I know I certainly did. Feedback is welcome! **

**Also, if anyone is interested I am in need of a proof reader. You see I'm dyslexic and I don't always recognise my own mistakes.**

**Anyway cheerio for now!**


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